Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Tibet: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons report from the US Department of State, which concluded that the government of Chinacontinued to place ethnic Tibetans in vocational training and manufacturing jobs with elements of modern day slavery, throughout 2022.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report from the US Department of State. The report highlights evidence of forced labour in China, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as Chinese nationals being forced to work in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We will continue to press the Chinese authorities to uphold their human rights obligations. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised the human rights situation in Xinjiang at a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 5 May 2023.

China: Human Trafficking

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the 2022 Trafficking in Persons report from the US Department of State, which concluded that the government of China (1) fails toact against traffickers who subject women and children from neighbouring Asian countries, Africa, and the Americas to forced labour and sex trafficking within that country, and (2) fails to prosecute men who broker forced and fraudulent marriage for fees of up $30,000.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report from the US Department of State. The report highlights evidence of forced labour in China, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as Chinese nationals being forced to work in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We will continue to press the Chinese authorities to uphold their human rights obligations. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised the human rights situation in Xinjiang at a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 5 May 2023.

China: Women

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation for women and girls in China, particularly for those belonging to national, ethnic or religious minority groups; and what representations they have made on the issue to the government of China and relevant bodies of the United Nations.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the impact of the gender imbalance balance in the population of the People’s Republic of China on the human rights of women in China, including in terms of human trafficking, (2) what representations they have made to the government of China regarding these matters, and (3) whether they intend to raise these matters at the UN Human Rights Council.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of reports of human rights violations against women in China, particularly against ethnic and religious minorities. We will continue to press the Chinese authorities to uphold their human rights obligations. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised the human rights situation in Xinjiang at a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 5 May 2023. Ending gender-based violence is a key priority for the FCDO, as reflected in the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and is one of the three pillars in the new International Women and Girls Strategy.

India: Christianity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India regarding reports that, during violence against Christians and churches in 27 villages in Manipur State in May, Indian security services did not intervene as Christians were killed and forced to leave their homes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India and we discuss all elements of our relationship. We remain committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect and tolerance between communities. Any reports of discrimination against religious minorities are a matter for the Indian police and legal system. Where we have issues we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.  I regularly speak to the High Commissioner of India. Human rights forms part of that dialogue.

Imran Khan

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of reports that members of Pakistan’s main opposition, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf, have been detained without legal representation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have said, the UK has a close and longstanding relationship with Pakistan. We are aware of recent reports of arrests in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation closely. I spoke to the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan on 9 May and to Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on 10 and 13 May, emphasising the importance of peaceful democratic processes and adherence to the rule of law.

China: Human Trafficking

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons report from the US Department of State, which concluded that the government of China does not meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, is making no significant efforts to do so, and is failing to report the identification of trafficking victims to protection services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report from the US Department of State. The report highlights evidence of forced labour in China, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as Chinese nationals being forced to work in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We will continue to press the Chinese authorities to uphold their human rights obligations. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised the human rights situation in Xinjiang at a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 5 May 2023.

Pakistan: Commonwealth

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other Commonwealth governments regarding Pakistan's compliance with the Commonwealth Charter.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All Commonwealth member states have committed to uphold shared values that are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter, such as Human Rights, Good Governance and the Rule of Law. The Commonwealth Secretary-General is responsible for upholding the principles of the Commonwealth Charter. His Majesty's Government has not discussed Pakistan's compliance with other Commonwealth governments. Last week, I spoke to Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Hina Rabbani Khar, and to Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK about the domestic political situation in Pakistan.

Pakistan: Journalism

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan to ensure the safety of (1) domestic, and (2) foreign, journalists in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a champion of media freedom and a proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. The British High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises media freedom and the protection of journalists with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. On 23 January the UK Political Counsellor raised these issues with Muhammad Saleem Baig, Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. On 17 November 2022 the British High Commissioner discussed the issue of media freedom with Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Refugees: Scholarships

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of refugees or displaced persons who have benefitted from scholarships provided by British Aid programmes in (1) 2023, (2) 2022, and (3) 2021; and, for each of these years, how many refugees in the UK have been awarded one of these scholarships.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded scholarships, Chevening and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), both accept applications from refugees in eligible countries. Neither scheme awards scholarships to any applicants, including refugees, already based in the UK.Chevening does not retain information on refugee status of its scholars after the application process. CSC records show 4 awards were given to refugees or displaced people in 2020/21, 4 in 21/22 and 4 in 22/23.

Refugees: Children

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they provide, if any, towards the implementation of the UNHCR-UNICEF Blueprint for Joint Action for Refugee Children.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK continues to prioritise education for refugee children through our work in emergencies and protracted crises, with our support through Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education contributing to the blueprint's objectives.In 2022 the UK provided £33m to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and £24m to UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund, in core contributions. This includes support for the implementation of the UNHCR-UNICEF Blueprint for Joint Action for Refugee Children.The UK gives UNHCR and UNICEF the flexibility to direct funding where it is needed most through the high proportion of unearmarked funding provided from our core contributions, including to the three priority sectors under the blueprint of Education; WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene); and child protection

Refugees: International Cooperation

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government who will represent the UK at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum; and, if a decision has not yet been taken, when they intend to announce the representatives.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: A decision will be taken in the final quarter of this year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment Protection: Urban Areas

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government how responsibilityfor research into the benefits of green and blue infrastructure is shared between (1) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (2) the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and (3) Natural England.

Lord Benyon: Natural England launched the Green Infrastructure Framework: Principles and Standards for England in January 2023. During the course of developing the Framework they produced and commissioned research, working with government Departments for: Environment Food and Rural Affairs; Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Transport and Health and Social Care. They also sought wider from input from experts in public bodies and private organisations to steer and advise. Natural England and Public Health England (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) published a Rapid Scoping Review of Health and Wellbeing Evidence as part of the project. In addition, Defra has also funded research into the economic modelling of accessible green space across England and Wales, known as the Outdoor Recreation Valuation tool. As set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, we will use the Green Infrastructure Framework to track progress in our commitment for everyone to have access to green or blue space within 15 minutes from their front door.

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste Disposal

Baroness Parminter: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to reduce the non-recycled waste from disposable vapes; and what plans they have to build awareness of the direct effect of disposable vapes on the environment.

Lord Benyon: Disposable vapes are considered to be electrical products and fall within scope of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. Businesses placing more than 5 tonnes of disposable vapes onto the UK market have a financial obligation to fund the collection and recycling of waste disposable vapes. The regulations also set minimum recycling targets for waste electrical equipment. We will shortly be consulting on reviewing these regulations with a view to introducing measures aimed at driving up levels of collections of waste electricals, including vapes, to ensure more of these products are properly recycled.

Infant Foods: Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the increase in the price of baby formula.

Lord Benyon: We have seen food price inflation continue to rise to 19.2% in March 2023, up from 18.2% in February 2023, the highest rate seen in 45 years.We recognise the impact high food prices are having on household budgets and tackling inflation is this Government’s number one priority, with a plan to more than halve inflation this year. The Government is providing significant support over this year and next – worth on average £3,500 per household – which includes direct cash payments to the most vulnerable households, as well as uprating benefits and the state pension by 10% in April.

Agriculture: Land Use

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of acres of Grade 4 agricultural land that could be used for planting trees; and what consideration they have given to providing incentives to owners to use such land for that purpose.

Lord Benyon: Forestry is a devolved matter and so unless otherwise stated this answer relates to England only. Our analysis has shown there are over three million hectares of low-risk land available for woodland creation. This analysis has identified areas of low sensitivity for woodland creation – areas which have few or no known constraints for new woodlands, excluding protected landscapes and priority habitats, amongst other sensitivities. This analysis includes grade 4 agricultural land but does not separate it from other sensitivities as woodland creation needs to be considered in its context. We are providing new and innovative incentives like the England Woodland Creation Offer to help land managers make woodlands part of their business where this is appropriate. Agriculture remains the largest land use in the UK, with an estimated 77% of the total area of the UK used for agricultural purposes, and therefore has substantial potential to contribute to the UK’s tree planting goals, by converting marginal or unproductive land into new woodland without taking good agricultural land out of use.

Agriculture: Land Use

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask His Majesty's Government how many acres of agricultural land which were previously being farmed were set aside for rewilding in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, and (5) 2022.

Lord Benyon: The Government does not instruct farmers to ‘set aside’ land for rewilding. We are phasing out subsidies so that we can invest the money in policies that work for farm businesses, food production and the environment. We are co-designing our reforms with farmers and, as we said in the Agricultural Transition Plan, the intention of our environmental land management schemes is to be flexible and to provide more choice and control to farmers. The government is supporting a number of initiatives to create wilder landscapes across England, as part of a broader approach to nature recovery. However, rewilding is not appropriate in all situations, and we must balance priorities including food production.

Dangerous Dogs

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government whether (1) the number of dog attacks in England and Wales has increased month by month over the past 12 months, and (2) the total number is greater than it was for the previous 12 months.

Lord Benyon: Defra does not collect this data. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) published by NHS Digital include numbers of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for hospital admissions in England that were caused by a dog bite or strike.

Dangerous Dogs

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) serious injuries, and (2) deaths, have been caused by dog attacks in England and Walesin the past 12 months.

Lord Benyon: Defra does not collect this data. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) published by NHS Digital include numbers of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for hospital admissions in England that were caused by a dog bite or strike. The Office for National Statistics also collects details and figures on deaths registered in England and Wales, including underlying cause. Deaths registered in England and Wales – 21st century mortality - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).

Agriculture: Land Use

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for using Grade 5 agricultural land for carbon capture.

Lord Benyon: Agriculture remains the largest land use in the UK, with an estimated 77% of the total area of the UK used for agricultural purposes, and therefore has substantial potential to contribute to the UK’s tree planting goals, by converting marginal or unproductive land into new woodland without taking good agricultural land out of use.In the Government Food Strategy we committed to publish a Land Use Framework for England in 2023, which will help to inform how we manage trade-offs and tensions on the land. The Framework will support the delivery of resilient, multifunctional landscapes, which will be dependent on the local context and needs.

Soil: Microbiology

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of (1) soil microbe community diversity, and (2) the change in this diversity over time.

Lord Benyon: The Government’s second statutory Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23), published on 31st January 2023, builds on the Government’s commitment to leave the environment in a better state than we found it. It sets out the actions that will drive us towards reaching our long-term environmental targets and goals, including improving and protecting soil health. This is aided by substantial new Government investment over three years towards delivering the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme. Soil monitoring as part of the NCEA programme will yield valuable new data to improve understanding of national soil condition, including soil microbial activity, and set up long-term monitoring capability to track change over time.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Bills Rebate

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of households eligible for Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding who have been wrongly denied the funding on the basis that they have received the £400 via their electricity supplier.

Lord Callanan: The Department has not made any assessment of the proportion of households eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding who have wrongly been denied funding on the basis that they have received the £400 via their electricity supplier. If individuals believe this to be the case, they can request a review of their application by calling the contact centre on 0808 175 3287 (0808 175 3894 for Northern Ireland).

Energy Bills Rebate

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to extend the application period for Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding beyond 31 May to account for social housing providers who are supporting their residents through the application process.

Lord Callanan: The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding launched on 27 February providing 3 months for eligible applicants to apply before the scheduled 31 May deadline. The government does not currently propose to extend the application period. Throughout the scheme we have engaged with social housing partners, providing them with information to help support their residents through the application process.

Energy: Billing

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent energy companies from increasing direct debit payments from customers over the summer while global energy prices are falling.

Lord Callanan: A customer’s direct debit payment arrangement should avoid large credit or debit balance at the end of 12-month period. Energy suppliers are required to ensure a customer’s direct debit payments are set on the best available information. For existing customers, the payment level should be based on energy consumption over the previous year with adjustments for price changes. With Ofgem now setting the energy price cap on a quarterly basis, regular adequacy reviews on customers’ accounts by suppliers should mean when the cost of energy falls, they will see this reflected in their direct debit payment sooner.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord Balfe: To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements are in place to dispose of boats used to bring illegal migrants across the English Channel; and whether they plan to revisit these arrangements.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: All vessels that have been subject to seizure are held by Border Force until completion of any criminal investigation activities. The majority of boats are not fit for re-sale or to ever go to sea again, as they arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process. The boats are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled. There are no plans to revisit these arrangements.

Asylum: Families

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they provide, if any, to the Family Reunification Network.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Officials are engaged with the Global Family Reunification Network and attended the annual conference earlier this month which sought to make connections between network members, share information on good practices and review shared challenges.

Internally Displaced People and Refugees: Resettlement

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of statelessness as an obstacle to the resettlement of refugees and internally displaced persons internationally and in the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The UK has a proud history of supporting refugees and since 2015, the UK has resettled over 28,200 individuals under our UNHCR resettlement schemes, including stateless individuals.The UK is proud to welcome refugees through our current resettlement schemes, including the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme.UNHCR has responsibility for all out-of-country casework activity relating to the UK’s resettlement schemes, including the identification of people, assessment of their needs and referral to the UK for consideration. Given UNHCR’s mandate covers both refugees and stateless persons, they are expertly placed to help the UK authorities to identify and process vulnerable refugees, including those who are stateless, that would benefit from resettlement in this country.Individuals coming through our resettlement schemes are assessed and referred by the UNHCR according to their submission criteria, which is based on people’s needs and vulnerabilities, and the UK does not intervene in decisions made under the criteria.

Offences against Children

Lord Kamall: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Sharpe of Epsom on 2 May (HL7140),which states that the Home Secretary’s comments reported in the Daily Mail on 1 April about sexual abuse of females by perpetrators described as “almost all British-Pakistani, who hold cultural attitudes completely incompatible with British values”, related only to the findings of local reviews into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, whether they will ask the Daily Mail to publish this clarification.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government is clear that child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion. The Home Secretary’s comments relate to the findings of local reviews into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, which showed that perpetrators in those cases were overwhelmingly British-Pakistani men, and the victims were white girls. However, of course child sexual abuse offenders come from every walk of life, every ethnicity, and every background – as do their victims.The Home Secretary has made her comments clear, including through the Written Answer mentioned and through her publication in The Spectator on 22 April 2023.

Extradition

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: To ask His Majesty's Government whether any country has rejected a UK request for extradition, for reasons of the inadequacy of (1) the UK justice system, or (2) the UK prison conditions, within the past five years; and if so, which countries have done so, and on what grounds.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: As a matter of long-standing Government policy, we do not comment on whether an extradition request has been made or received.However, I can confirm that the UK makes every attempt to respond as fully as possible to requests for assurances in relation to matters such as those referenced by the Noble Lord when such requests are received in relation to extradition requests made to other countries.

Department for Business and Trade

Financial Reporting Council: Recruitment

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask His Majesty's Government why the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council is not currently advertised on the public appointments website, given that the current CEO resigned in February 2023.

The Earl of Minto: The campaign to find a new Chief Executive Officer for the Financial Reporting Council is now live. The job advertisement can be accessed on the public appointments website at https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/7439.

Community Assets and Cooperatives

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to (1) encourage, and (2) support, (a) co-operative business models, and (b) community ownership.

The Earl of Minto: The government aims to make the UK the best place in the world to start, scale up and grow a business. We provide extensive business support which is accessible to all types of businesses including co-operatives. Our Business Support Helpline and 38 Growth Hubs provide expert advice, guidance and signposting to all types of business, including pre-start-ups, voluntary, community and social enterprises. Businesses may also be eligible for financial support by the British Business Bank. Grant funding and leadership training is also available to SMEs to help them adopt industrial and management skills for growing businesses, which could include co-operative businesses being run on a commercial basis.

Companies: Closures

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to reports of a declinein the total number of registered businesses in the UK.

The Earl of Minto: The number of UK businesses decreased by 1.5% between 2021 and 2022, equivalent to 82,000 businesses.[1] This includes a significant amount of churn within the business population, with firms entering as well as closing. The government provides extensive support and advice to businesses, including the free Business Support Helpline, 38 Growth Hubs across England and the Help to Grow: Management scheme. Businesses can also access government-backed finance from the British Business Bank, such as via the Start Up Loans programme and Recovery Loan Scheme. [1] Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2022, BEIS

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the proportion of Personal Independence Payments appeals which are successful at the tribunal stage; and what steps they intend to take in response.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: We are continuing to learn from decisions overturned at appeal. For example, we gather insight from Presenting Officers who regularly provide feedback from hearings they attend, with a view to learning from overturned decisions. We have made improvements to the decision-making process at both the first decision and the mandatory reconsideration stage, giving decision-makers additional time to proactively contact claimants if they think additional evidence may support the claim.​

Workplace Pensions: Disclosure of Information

Baroness Hayman: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to commitments made in the consultation outcome, Climate and investment reporting: setting expectations and empowering savers, published on 21 October 2021, to review mandatory disclosures by occupational pension schemes and requirements on stewardship activities; (1) when the review will begin, (2) whether they will publish a call for evidence, (3) how they will decide which stakeholders to engage with, and (4) when they expect to publish the results of the review.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: I would like to assure the Baroness that, as set out in the consultation response Climate and investment reporting: setting expectation and empowering savers, we will review requirements on disclosures and stewardship activities in the second half of 2023. The exact form and publication timeline of the review are being determined in conjunction with wider and ongoing stewardship review activities.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Freedom of Information

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Neville-Rolfe on 11 May (HL7431), what assessment they have made of the impact of the cost limit for responding to freedom of information requests remaining at £600 since 2004 on(1) anycurtailment of the time that may be spent in dealing with freedom of information requests, and (2) any increase in the number of refusals of requests as a result of that curtailment.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: There has been no curtailment, so no assessment has been made of any increase in the number of refusals as a result of the "curtailment"'. The cost limit is a calculation based on officials’ time and has remained at a flat rate of £25 per hour since 2004.

Department for Transport

Bus Services: Rural Areas

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what alternative provisions they are makingfor individuals who live in areas affected by closures of rural bus routes.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund is supporting 16 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across 15 local authorities in England. These pilots are exploring whether DRT can serve these communities more effectively than traditional public transport solutions alone. The Government has provided over £2 billion in emergency and recovery funding since March 2020 through to 30 June to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and prevent reductions to bus services. On 17 May, we announced a long-term approach to continue protecting vital bus services with an additional £300 million from July 2023 until April 2025. Almost half of this additional funding will be provided to bus operators, partially based on the distance of the services that they operate. This will allow us to focus funding on longer routes, such as those in rural areas, where some services are less likely to be commercially sustainable without additional funding. In addition, the successful fare cap scheme has also been extended to help with costs and increase patronage.

Ministry of Defence

RAF Scampton

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the case (1) for preserving the historic fabric of RAF Scampton, (2) for commemorating (a) the 53 RAF personnel who died on the Dambusters Raid, and (b) the 55,573 who died in total during operations with RAF Bomber Command, and (3) for providing necessities for any refugees to be accommodated there.

Baroness Goldie: The Ministrt of Defence (MOD) has had to make some difficult decisions to dispose of sites, including the former RAF Scampton, that have become surplus to military requirements in accordance with HM Treasury guidance on the management of surplus Government land. As part of the disposal process, full consideration is always given to the history and heritage of a site. Leading up to the disposal of the former RAF Scampton, a number of heritage assets were relocated to other either RAF stations, returned to their private owners or donated to the local Scampton Heritage Group in order to preserve them for future generations. The MOD is extremely proud of its personnel and those that gave their lives in the defence of the United Kingdom. The sacrifices made by these heroic individuals are remembered through the various memorials that are open to the public with the Dambusters squadron crew that lost their lives being represented by the memorial at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and with the 55,573 Bomber Command crew that lost their lives being represented by the Bomber Command memorial located within The Green Park, London. Questions on provision of necessities for any asylum seekers housed at the former RAF base in the future are a matter for the Home Office.